Hand tools for scoring and breaking



Feb. 7, 1956 J. v. FITZGERALD HAND TOOLS FOR SCORING AND BREAKING TILEAND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 29, 1954 INVENTOR. ./0///v 1 F/rzi/mw HAND TOOLSFOR SCORENG AND BREAKING TILE AND THE LliKE John V. Fitzgerald,Metuchen, N. .i. Application November 29, 1954, Serial No. 471,747

'7 Claims. '(Cl. 12--23) The present invention relates to hand tools andmore particularly to hand tools for scoring and breaking tile and thelike.

Although tile and glass may be broken along a scored line by pressingthe tile or glass along the edge of a table or platform it is desirablethat a tool be provided for breaking the tile or glass without having todepend on there being a table or platform conveniently located. It isimportant, however, that any tool provided for such purpose be simple,safe, and handy for the operator.

Therefore a primary object of this invention is to provide a hand toolfor scoring and breaking tile which is simple to manufacture, safe touse, and handy for the operator.

A tool combining both the scoring and the breaking operations lendsitself to convenience in that the breaking operation generally followsthe scoring operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool which convenientlycombines in one device both a cutting or scoring wheel and a tilebreaker.

The thickness of glazed ceramic tile of different manufacturers willsometimes vary. It is therefore important that a hand tool for scoringand breaking tile accommodate normal variations in thickness of thetile. It has been proposed heretofore to employ an adjustment on thetool to provide for variations in. the thickness of the tile. Anadjustable tool is necessarily more complicated than a tool withoutadjustments. The

manufacture of an adjustable tool is more expensive.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool forscoring and breaking tile which will accommodate normal variations inthe thickness of the ceramic tile without the necessity of providingadjustments.

By providing a tool having no moving parts it is possible to manufacturethe tool by simple die casting or similar mass production techniques.

According,to'this invention there is provided a hand tool forscoring'and breaking tile and the like consisting of a rigid toolincluding a scoring wheel and formed to apply downward pressure on'bothsides of a scoring on the surface of the tile while exerting pressureupward underneath the scoring on the tile. This pressure is easilyapplied with a simple lever which may be operated by one hand while thetile or glass to be cut or broken is held in the other hand.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will become apparent aftera reading of the following specification and an inspection of theaccompanying drawing wherein: I

Figure 1 illustrates one form of the present invention. 7

Figure 2 shows a front view of one form of the invention.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the hand tool shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 illustrates how the hand tool made in ac- United States Pat o i'atented Feb. 7, 1956 2 cordance with the teachings of the presentinvention is employed.

I In the several figures of the drawing the same numeral willgbeemployed to designate the same part.

Turning now in more detail to Figure 1 a rigid C clamp or U-shapedmember 11 contains a scoring wheel 13. The plane of the scoring Wheel 13is in the plane of the C clamp 11. The scoring wheel 13 is supported ona shaft 15 which may be inserted into a hole which pierces the body ofthe C clamp 11.

The body of the C clamp 11 contains a handle 1.7, a portion of which isknurled to provide a firm grip for the user of the hand tool. Thecombinationof the cutter wheel or scoring wheel 13 and the handle 17provides a very serviceable instrument for scoring ceramic tile and thelike.

The O clamp 11 contains three pressure points or points ofcontact 19,21, and 23. Pressure points 21 and 23 arespaced symmetrically about theplane of the C clamp and in a line substantially perpendicular to theplane of the C clamp. The pressure points 19, 21, and 23 consist ofridges which are parallel to the plane of the C clamp. Pressure points21 and 23 may also be considered as extremities of an arch which has itsapex at 25. The apex 25 of the arch is also in the plane of the C clamp.

Grooves 27 and 29 are located in the surface to limit the length of theridges which define the pressure points 21 and 23. Likewise a groove 31defines the ridge which establishes the pressure point 19.

The operation of the hand tool is illustrated in Figure 7 4 wherein apiece of ceramic tile 33 has been scored along a line 35 and inserted.in the C clamp with its scored side upward. By holding the tile 33 inthe left hand and forcing downward on the handle 17 with the right handin the position as shown at 37 the pressure points 21 and 23 are broughtto bear on the top surface of the tile while the pressure point 1? shownin Figure 1 is brought to bear under the tile at the position of thescoring 35. Suificient pressure is exerted by the hand 37 to cause thetile to break along the scoring 35.

The grooves 2'7 and 29 are so positioned that during the tilebreakingoperation the grooves 27 and 29 will fall at the edge 33 of thetile 33. This prevents clipping of the edge of the tile 33 at 39 andallows the pressure point 23 to fall inward from the edge of the tile33.

It will be seen that the thickness of the tile to be scored and brokenmay vary considerably providing it is thinner than the opening 41 bestillustrated in Figure 3. t

Although the invention has been shown and described as a hand tool forscoring and breaking ceramic tile, the tool is equally applicable forscoring and breaking glass. 1

A hand tool constructed in accordance with the teachings of thisinvention will accommodate normal variations in the thickness of glazedwall tile as made by different manufacturers. Special adjustments orsettings of the tool for each thickness of ceramic tile is notrequired.- The hand tool is suitable for scoring and breaking soft tileand very hard red bodied tile. in view of the fact that no moving partssuch as hinges or cams'are required for the hand tool it lends itself tomanufacture by die casting.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A hand tool for scoring and breaking tile and the like comprising,means for scoring said tile, a rigid C clamp having an opening slightlygreater than the thickness of the tile to be broken, a first side of theopening having two tapered grooves to provide lines of contact with thetile, said two grooves symmetrically spaced on each side efthe" plane ofsaid O clamp and in --a -line-perpendicular--to-the-planeof-said Cclamp, said two grooves extending inward from the extremities of an archwhose concave surface is inward with respect to the 'Yclampfa second'side ofthe opening of the C clamp having a single point of contact withthe tile, and means on said C'clamp for rotating-said C clamp withrespect to the tile'to be broken in the plane of said C clamp wherebywhen said O clamp engages a scored tile so that'said twopoints ofcontact engage the scored tile symmetrically about the scoring and said6 clamp is rotated by said'rotating means the tile is broken at thelocation of-the scoring on the tile.

2. A hand tool for scoring and breaking tile and the like comprising arigid C clamp, said O clamp having an opening slightly greater than thethickness of the tile to'bebr'oken and adapted to engage the edge of thetile at a point where the tile has a score on one of'its surfaces, saidCclamp' having as a permanently fixed part thereof two points of contactwith the tile on the scored side of the tile and one point of contactwith the tile on the side opposite to the scored side of the tile andunder the scoring, a handle extending from said C clamp and located inthe plane of said C clamp and at a substantially 45 degree angle withthe plane of said contact points of the C clamp, a tile scoring 7 wheelin said O clamp, the plane of the wheel being in the plane of the Cclamp and wherein said C clamp and said handle consists of a singlepiece casting.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 and wherein said handle andsaid tile scoring wheel extend from opposite arms of said C clamp.

4. A hand tool for scoring and breaking tile and the like comprising arigid single element 0 clamp, said (3 clamp having a tile scoring wheelin the plane of said (3 clamp, said C clamp also having two pressurepoints on one sideand a single pressure point on its other side, saidtwo pressure "points spaced on each side of the plane of said O clampand in a line perpendicular to the plane of said C clamp, said twopoints falling in a groove whose base forms a discontinuous straightline,- said 0 clamp having an opening slightly greater than thethickness of the tile to be broken, the two points of said O clampadapted to straddle the scoring of the tile to be broken and on the sameside of the tile as the scoiing while 'the single pressure point isadapted to apply pressure to the opposite side of the tile from thescoring and under the scoring, a handle for said 0 clamp, said handleextending in the plane of said 6 clamp and at an angle to the positionthe tile is adapted to take in said O clamp whereby said C clamp may berotated in the plane of said C clamp with respect to the location of thetile to be broken.

5. A hand tool for scoring and breaking tile and the like comprising arigid lever consisting of a single piece casting, means attached to saidlever for scoring said tile; said lever having a'fulcrum intermediateits ends, said fulcrum having two pressure points on opposite sides ofthe axis of said lever and in a line perpendicular s to the axis of saidlever, said two pressure points being adapted to-engagevthe scored sideof said tileoniopposite sides of said scoring, the extension of saidlever beyond said fulcrum having a third pressure point adapted toengage the side of said tile opposite to said scoring and under saidscoring, and means for applying pressure to said lever to apply pressureto said scored tile at said pressure points.

6. Arcutter for tile and the like comprising a solid U-shaped memberhaving a first and a second end, the first end or" said U-shaped memberdivided into two arms spaced symmetrically about the normal plane of theU-shaped member, said arms each having a pressure point in a lineperpendicular to the plane of said U-shaped member andon the inside ofsaid arms with respect to the U-shaped member, the second end of saidU-shaped member having a pressure point internal with respect to saidU-shaped member, means for scoring said tile positioned on the outsideand at the extremity of the second end of said U-shaped member, andmeans for rotating said U-shaped member in the plane of said U-shapedmember for applying pressure to said tile by said pressure points sothat the pressure points of the first end of said U-shaped memberstraddle the scoring on said tile and the pressure point of the secondend of said U-shaped member is under the scoring on said tile and on thesurface of the tile opposite to the surface which is scored.

7. A hand tool for breaking scored tile and the like comprising a singlepiece casting consisting of a rigid C clamp havingan opening slightlygreater than the thickness of the tile to be broken, a first side of theopening having two points of contact with the tile, said two pointssymmetrically spaced on each side of the plane of said O clamp and in aline perpendicular to the plane of said O clamp, said two points ofcontact with the tile being formed by an arch in the first side of theopening wherein the axis of the arch is in the plane of said 0 clamp,there also being grooves in the first side of the opening running inline and perpendicular to the'plane of the C clamp, the base of thegrooves forming a discontinuous straight line, a second side of theopening of the C clamp having a single point of contact with the tilepermanently fixed with respect to said 6 clamp, and means on said 6clamp for rotating said 0 clamp with'respect to the tile to be broken inthe plane of said Clclamp whereby when said O clamp engages a scoredtile so that said two points of contact engage the scored tilesymmetrically about the scoring and said 0 clamp is rotated by saidrotating means the tile is broken at the location of the scoring on thetile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSLenarduzzi Mar. 18, 1952

